Читать книгу Bad Boys, Bad Times. The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Prewar Years, 1937–1941 онлайн

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Baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis had a complicated problem to deal with. This was not a matter of some obscure minor league player that few paid attention to. No matter how the Judge ruled, his decision would be front-page news all around the country.

Landis had a strong regard for minor league players. He despised the idea of the Major League clubs having a “chain store” system that impeded the progress of young men trying to advance to the big leagues. Most clubs, particularly the Yankees and Red Sox, had extensive interests in all levels of minor league organizations. They could manipulate a player’s destiny, moving him from club to club until they believed he was ready to compete at the highest level. This led to several procedures that Landis found despicable. “Covering up” meant shuttling a player back and forth to different minor league clubs to avoid scrutiny. This took place when a team in the Majors had no room for the player in question or believed he needed more time. The player wound up being “sold” to the minors, but only to a team that was part of the Major League team’s chain store. This procedure could go on indefinitely, denying the player a legitimate shot at the big time.